RYDEN “The house is okay.” She smiled. “Your parents might have checked it a few times while you were away.” “That’s good to hear.” “You should go, and she’s in the mortuary. Take this to her.” “Why is she in the morgue?” I asked, confused and shocked. “Honey, this is not a vet.” “Oh. She hasn’t shifted back.” I took the scrub suit from her. “Yes, not until I pulled out the bullet in her shoulder. She’s recovered and awake.” “Thanks.” I followed the direction towards the morgue and found Ren and Theia walking out. “What happened to the bad guy?” I looked at Theia. “Don’t ask when you already know the answer.” “Good to know or I will do it myself.” I pushed the door open and found Amelia on the floor. My heart gave a funny flutter as I watched her struggle to get back on her feet. Her eyes widened and lit up as she saw me. “For a woman who can torch a building, I can’t believe what I’m seeing right now. How are you this clumsy, Amelia?” The sheet just fell off her shoulde
AMELIA “Amelia!” Ren and Theia were screaming my name, and I was surprised to react until a whooshing sound pierced my ears. It happened in slow motion as I watched the bullet pass before my very eyes, hitting strands of my hair that had me gasping. A forceful strong ball of wind pushed me in the chest, throwing me away, saving my life. I was still shocked to react, and I felt my ass being dragged against the ground landing me against Kailin’s car. “Sniper!” Ren yelled at everyone before he took cover. Another shot was fired, just an inch at my foot. I quickly pulled my knees against my body and hit myself. My heart was still in my throat as I hid behind the tire. “Amelia, don’t move.” Ryden hid behind the SUV with Kailin. I saw the fear in his eyes and felt his jumbled thoughts. “It’s Dane,” we said in unison. “What?” Kailin reacted, eyes widening as she was finding it difficult to believe her mate was targeting me. “Why is he doing this?” “He’s possessed by something,” Ryde
RYDEN I couldn’t let her go in my arms the moment they came back with Dane. I had to feel her and make myself believe that she was okay. “Where’s the don’t fucking do that again?” “You’ll have it later.” I kissed her forehead and lips before I let her go. Her eyes danced in excitement because she knew I would never lie about it. “I’ll hold on to that then.” Dane willingly went to our ruined infirmary for a brief check-up. “What the hell happened here?” Shae arrived and scanned her gaze around. “It’s Alec’s evil effect.” I walked with her to the infirmary. “Our friend Dane was just possessed and used us as target practice.” “I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that my daughter is the fire wolf, and now demonic possession?” She stared at me. “It’s actually a demon’s lackey that possessed Dane.” Ren came to hug Shae. “You should be very careful. Every one of us is a target.” “Thank you, Ren.” She began checking Dane. He looked okay though aside from dark circles under h
AMELIA “What the hell were you doing back there?” Zarah was still furious at me even if we were already back at the pack house. “You could have hurt yourself.” “I don’t know.” I shrugged, holding my smile back because I honestly didn’t know what I was doing and I felt so stupid. I panicked and wasn’t thinking straight. “Trying to fix my damage.” “Really?” She snapped, lips flattening. “Why are you pissed at me?” I raised my sword. “Because of this? Because it can penetrate your shield.” “Of course, that sword can. It’s the Sword of Light.” “Wait. You know?” At least, I heard three of us ask the same question; Ryden, Ren, and I. “You know what it is all along and you didn’t tell us?” “How didn’t you know your sword?” “Calder mentioned that name.” I shrugged again. “Sensei gave it to me, and he was not the kind of man who was up for a talk. When I managed to pick it up without killing me, he said, the sword chose me, and I am now responsible for it.” “It chose you because you h
RYDEN “You’re fucking with me, right?” I blinked in disbelief at Dane. “I wish I was, Ryden. I finally remember everything that happened.” “What happened?” Amelia asked. “I was snooping at the private airport owned by one of his business partners. Then I got caught. They brought me on the private jet, and I thought they were going to kill me. I swear to the Goddess, I know what I saw. Alec is the new host.” “How is it even possible?” I looked at Zarah. “Wait. So, he’s now getting an upgrade?” Theia asked Dane. “Then we’re in big trouble. This is sickening.”Amelia let go of a shaky breath. “This is getting better and better.”I looked at Amelia who was beyond terrified just like everyone else in this room. “Demon was looking for a new strong host,” Zarah voiced out. “Sonya’s body must have deteriorated, couldn’t handle it anymore, and the demon needed to be fed. Who else would be the right person with money, power, knows his way around, and with a god complex behavior? And yes,
AMELIA “What do you mean?” I gripped his arm as I sensed dread and fear in his thoughts. “Remember the test before we met Calder?” My gaze locked with his. Those eyes were haunting. “Of course, how could I forget? You froze and you told me you were brought to a cave and I was caught by the wraiths.” He looked up and studied the structure and pointed out where we got in. “You were there.” I gasped as I stared at him. My feature turned hard. My throat tightened as more fear flashed in his eyes. “Let’s keep this between us.” “Amelia—” “We’ll make sure we get what we came here for and make it out alive, okay? We’ve changed a lot for a couple of months. We’ve learned something. I’m sure we can fight it if it becomes reality. But we’re surrounded by sphalerite. They can’t get in here.” He managed to put a small smile on his lips before he nodded, but the fear and worry were still deep in his eyes. “You’re right.” “Are we digging or not?” Guston asked impatiently. I still didn’t tr
RYDEN Motherfuckers! I didn’t know how did they find us. They were always two steps ahead of us. My guess is it was Samarah. She was pissed off when Zarah declined her offer. “Did you bring the sword?” Amelia asked. “Do you really have to ask me that?” I smiled at her. “Verum revelare.” “Wow.” She looked impressed as she glanced at the sword holster that appeared on the back. “You mastered it.” “Put this on.” I gave her the holster. “Don’t shift. We can handle this.” “What’s the plan?” Guston asked. “Stay alive and attack,” I told him, and I’d never been relieved that he remained loyal to our friendship. “Be careful.” As Amelia pulled the sword, Guston’s men looked confused and surprised. “You bring a sword to werewolf fights,” Bryan reacted. “Trust me, Caltech dropped out. The sword might be the only thing that can save your fat ass,” Theia said irritably. “Fat, huh?” He smirked. “Focus!” Ren chided them both. “Get naked, guys, and shift,” I told them. “You heard the l
RYDEN I smiled. Ren used his power to drive the carts at full speed. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” wounded Bryan reacted at Ren. “What are you, man?” “A monkey king, Caldo,” Theia replied. I instantly noticed the sparks between them earlier. Were they mates?“Caldo?” Bryan’s eyebrows shot up. “Caltech dropped out.” “You’re making fun of me now?” He winced. “Fuck.” “Your cut is bad.” I thought I heard a worry from Theia. Amelia and I shared a look, and she knowingly smiled at me. We got out of the cave, and so far, I couldn’t see any wraiths. The rest of the guys had joined us. “Don’t let your guard down. I can feel them surrounding us.” Amelia scanned her gaze around. “Theia, take our wounded back to the airport. Stay alert, okay?” “I can’t leave you here, Amelia.” “Of course, Alpha.” She winked at me. “We stick together.” “The rest you can go.” I looked at Dane and Kailin. They had blood on their fur but looked like not their own. “Hurry up, guys!” Ren called o
AMELIAThree years laterEnochian Institute “Okay, bud. Are you ready?” Ryden towered at his son as he tried to prepare him for his first day of school. “No, Dad. Please, don’t call me buddy or bud anymore. I’m six years old. Alex is fine.” I looked at them and tried hard not to grin. When Ryden saw my smile, I looked away. “You will always be my boy, so I can call you bud or buddy until you get a girlfriend or have kids on your own.” “Mom, I need help here. I want to be like every kid at the institute.” When he gave me this puppy-eyes look, the same look he gave me when he wanted to be with his Uncle Ren or Uncle Drak. I knelt before him as I fixed his coat. Alex was carrying a blue backpack. I looked right into his blue-green eyes. Every time I looked at him, he always reminded me of his father. “My love, listen to me. You grow up so fast. Me and your dad still see you like our two-year-old boy. That’s why Dad still calls you buddy, and it’s actually cool that you and Dad ar
AMELIA I still cried whenever I felt alone. I still cried to sleep knowing he was gone because he wanted me to live. The feeling of losing someone I loved hit differently. It felt like I lost a part of me, a part of my soul. I woke up to the blinding light streaming from the opened window. Or at least I felt like I just woke up when the image of my father appeared before me. “Dad?” I sat up on the bed. I was still sleeping in the same bed I shared with Lucius. “Why did you let it happen? Why did you accept his deal? Now I’m all alone.” “You’re not alone, Amelia.” I wiped the first tear that fell on my cheek. “I died twice. You should have let me die. I can’t. I can’t take it anymore. Lucius was a good man. He had a lot of things to live for.” “And you don’t?” he asked me calmly. “I know life isn’t fair, but I don’t deserve another chance. I would have swapped places with him. These people need their alpha.” “Amelia.” He stood before me. “He accomplished his mission in life. H
RYDEN The moment I received a call from Drak, I knew something terrible had happened. He couldn’t hide the sadness in his voice. I quickly asked help from Zarah to send me to the Blood Moon Pack. Every last member of Lucius’ pack was around. His compound was crowded with the people who loved him, who believed in his cause, and the people he saved and had given a second chance. As I entered the house, a howl of mourning echoed from the forest. It was heart-wrenching. I didn’t only feel extremely sad about losing a great alpha, but he was also a savior and a hero, and I was proud to call him a friend. “This is so unfair.” Amelia ran into me. She looked like she’d been crying. She really looked like a mess, with wet cheeks, and red eyes and nose. “This can’t be happening.” “I’m so sorry, my love.” I took her in my arms. I knew my presence wouldn’t help the fact that Lucius was gone, but I was hoping I could somehow help ease the pain in her chest. “He’s gone, Ryden. He’s gone.” She
AMELIAIf this was the last day we had together, then I would make the best of it. I couldn’t fathom a life without him, my hero, who sacrificed everything so I could live another day. He was the true savior, not me. He was the true leader, the greatest alpha I’d ever met. He deserved that recognition, yet, here he was, waiting until he let go of his last breath and succumbed to death.It was unfair. Life was so fucked up and unfair. “Maybe you should give me an heir. I wanna have a mini you, please?” I wiped my tears away. “For that, I might be able to forgive myself. Then I’m going to tell him the story of how amazing and brave his father was, his sacrifices for this world, and how much we love each other, and show him our photos together.” “I will give you everything, my love. If we have a son, I want you to teach him to be a good man and respect and treat Ryden as his father. If we have a girl, tell her, that her father will always be watching her. Tell them their father loves t
AMELIA Lucius pulled away, looking right into my eyes. “We’re not doing it again, Amelia. I’ve accepted my fate.” “Well, I’m not! You should have told me. I could have done something other than keeping me in the dark. I have every right to know, Lucius. Have you forgotten that?” “I know that, my love, and I’m so sorry.” “Save it,” I said as I faced Ryden and pointed a finger at his face. “You, I trusted you. Are you happy now? Lucius had sacrificed his life twice for me so I could be with you. And I only asked one thing. Just one thing from you, and you couldn’t do it. You can’t be honest with me. Why should I stay with you if you don’t value honesty?” Ryden looked away as pain and agony laced in his eyes. “Amelia, don’t say that,” Lucius said. “Oh, so now you’re his best friend because you’re peas in a pod?” “Amelia, I know this is hard, but Lucius made his decision. You would have been dead by now and the rest of the werewolves who had fallen that day.” Shit. Zarah was right
AMELIA It had been three months since that war against The Director ended, and our lives had finally returned back to normal. The pack was going strong. No more sightings of demons and wraiths. No more threats other than rogues on occasion. The mother and son Ryden took in, and some werewolves had become the new pack members. Theia and Bryan were still like cat and mouse, but I could feel how much their relationship had developed, especially when it was built with trust. The two elemental werewolves had begun their training at Elysian. We still talked over the phone, especially with Ryden, since he was one of them. Margaret finally woke up a few days after I went back home. Zarah, Samarah, and her had never been closer, and that made me happy. My Relationship with Ryden had never been strong. I told him everything, and he forgave me. He and Lucius seemed to have formed a friendship, which was weird. Since the day I left the hotel room, I stayed close to Lucius, not as a mate or
AMELIA I joined him in bed and kissed him on the lips, and he scooped me so I could rest on top of him. I curled into a fetal position as he wrapped his arms around me, his fingers tracing my spine. I felt tiny and fragile when I was with him, but powerful at the same time. He sighed again as if something was bothering him. “How did you find me?” “Your mate gave me your letter. I supposed you went back from where you started. Did you mean what you said?” He was talking about the letter. “All of it.” “Hmm.” He kissed the top of my head. “He came to me. He’s worried about you, sweetheart. You should go back.” “What about you?” I lifted my head and looked him in the eye. “I always trust what you do that you know what’s best for you. Like always, I won’t control you.” He smiled as he tucked my hair behind my ear. “But of course, I get worried all the time even though I know you can take care of yourself.” “How’s everyone?” “I’m not telling you anything, Amelia. It’s about time y
AMELIA “I want you right now, Alexander.” The moment those words left my mouth, he carried me to the bed in my hotel room. He ripped my clothes from my body until I was naked and exposed. Then he spread my legs wide, and one thing led to another. My ovary was throwing a party as he dipped his head between my legs. A gasp escaped my lips as he pressed the softest kisses on my foot, my leg, and my inner thighs, nipping my skin. Then captured my entire pussy with his hot mouth. “Ah!” My hips bucked, hand came to his head to grab a handful of his hair, shamelessly pushing his mouth to my sex. Then he dragged his tongue from my folds upward to my clit, making my head spin. Tingles ran down my spine as I shuddered in delight. “Goddess!” I panted, rocking into his talented tongue, stroking my clit. Every muscle in my body clenched, and my legs trembled. Then he glided it in my entrance, thrusting in and out, alternately sucking my sensitive hard nub. Tension instantly coiled in my lowe
AMELIA “So where are you going?” Gaia asked. She’d been spending some time with Ren and Theia while Nora was trying to fix the broken relationship she had with her father. With Victor in the council jail, there was no threat to Alec anymore. “I don’t know yet.” I looked at the three of them. “Please, take care of each other. The greater demon might be gone, but there are still a lot of bad people out there. Maybe the good citizens could use your help.” “I’m gonna miss you.” Theia hugged me. “Don’t be gone too long, okay?” “I won’t, but you should go and be with the Caltech dropout.” “I will. Ren doesn’t need a driver anymore. He’s the monkey king after all.” She got a groan from Ren. “Gaia and he will start a new adventure anyway.” “I have to go.” I hugged Ren tight. “Thanks for not giving up on me. You always have a place in the pack. I love you, Ren. I’ll see you soon.” “I love you, too, Amelia. Don’t be a stranger. Visit the Raito house once in a while.” “Once I figure out